When Kids Give Up The Nap- A Mothers Log Flume Into Hell

Landon has started giving up his afternoon nap in an effort to kill me. Seriously. I need a little break in the afternoon, doesn't he get that? Some of my friends are dealing with this too. I swear this is one of the hardest things to go through!

I have had it good. Landon is four and still was napping until now. The problem is, even if he's not tired at nap time, he gets tired around dinner time and becomes pretty whiney and angry. Even my friends who's kids have given up the nap have managed to get their kids to "rest". This entails just being quiet in their rooms, reading and such. Landon is not having that one bit. No sir.

Doubling my problem is Coco still napping. If they both were giving it up I would just take them somewhere or play, but with Coco sleeping, we have to be quiet and at home.

The transitions in motherhood are always the hardest. Giving up the pacifier, potty training, giving up breast feeding...they are tough to deal with. Once you are on the other side of the transition you feel better, but in the thick of it, you are on a log flume to hell. Oh you know what I am talking about. The log ride at the water park where you get DRENCHED every time.

Right now Landon has him computer, and so do I. We are laying in bed "checking our emails" watching project runway. Don't judge me. I'm just trying to make it here!

PS Any and all brilliant advice and encouragement will earn you at least three gold stars.PPS Yes his apron says "spoiled rotten (almost)".

16 comments:

One of my sisters still has this issue as well. She has a 5 and a 4 yr old plus a 19 month old (all three are boys). The youngest is of course doing the nap thing but he desperately hates it because he sees what the adults and his brothers do. The 4 yr old will fall asleep half the time but now he is pushing through the day without one as well. My sister still has the 5 yr old who wants to go places and do things even though he knows that his brothers (or at least the youngest) is sleeping.My sister has it lucky though she will call my parents, me or another sibling when she is in desperate need of someone to watch the youngest while he is sleeping so she can do things with the older two.

Honestly, you have nothing to complain about! How wonderful that you have time alone with your first-born! I used the same span of time with my older child when the younger one slept, to teach him how to read. He loved the one-on-one time and felt so special. He would later read to his sister while I cooked dinner. I look back and treasure those days. We would also take this time to entertain each other by telling stories. I would have him draw illustrations of our stories. There is SO much you can do together, just put on your thinking cap! There is nothing wrong his having him chill out in front of the tv for half and hour with a popsicle either! Good luck. I am sure you will figure this out.

Thankfully I've got my oldest daughter (2) still taking her afternoon nap, but I've got the problem you have in the morning. Usually my younger daughter (8 months) just skips the morning nap, so we can go out and get things done or play. But on the rare occasion, like today, when I'm home, my younger daughter sleeps in the morning, and it's "Shh, lets play quietly" to the older daughter. I need a bigger house, and then it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Whew!

My son is turning 3 and giving up naps. His rm is upstairs so.... I still make him have quiet time. I put up the child gate and pretty much "lock" him in. He can play, read or sleep. The choice is his. Sometimes he cries and pitches a royal fit. But for the most part, he gets that for 1 hr, he is in his room. I'll be honest... it's not always pretty. He's been known to throw toys over the gate but I've learned the best thing to do is ignore it. It's working for us right now. Good luck!!

"Log flume into hell" - I'm still cracking up over that!!! I wish I had great advice but, sadly, my daughter gave up her naps at . . wait for it .. age 2. Right after I had twins - GAH!!! This is just the time to introduce them to fantastic daytime TV (Ellen was our fave). Hang in there!!

My daughter gave up napping at 2. Yes, 2. My son lasted until he was 3. I thought I had it good with him. With my daughter, I insisted on 45 minutes quiet time. She in her room playing. Me in the living room recovering from, as you put it, the flume.

I remember GRIEVING the nap time lost and when I needed a break we would all crawl into mommy's bed and flip on the tv and snuggle a bit. My kids still love to do this and still need sometimes when they are sick that's where they go to chillax. I might've even caught a tiny wink of sleep when I needed it!

My kids were four years apart and we never did get the nap thing in sync. Oh...when Legare was little he had a sun visor that read "I was born entitled." Now, some 24 years later, he STILL believes that to be true.

With four children the naps are what saved their lives - ha ha. I would sit with the older one and tell them all they had to do was keep their eyes closed for 5 or 10 mins. and then they could get up - if they opened their eyes then the time would start over again. None of them ever made it past the 5 mins. When they really were done with naps (5 yrs. old - except my last one was taking naps at 6 - she still naps at 27!) they had to stay in their rooms - read and be quiet.

My daughter gave up napping @ about 2 1/2. I about died! I started having 'quiet time' then. She would go in her room and lay on her bed and play quietly or look @ books for about 90 minutes each day. She was less cranky at 4:30-5 than if she didn't have quiet time. It lasted until she went to kindergarten.

Figure out what works for you & Landon. What you are willing to live with. It took her a little while to get used to it - I heard lots of 'I'm not tireds'(ha!) but before long she liked her time. Good luck! :)

I put the 2 1/2 year old down for a nap, pour the 4 year old a sippy cup of milk, turn on his favorite show, and hit the couch! Sometimes he'll snuggle with me, and sometimes he just plays by himself. He sees me resting, so he follows suit. GOOD LUCK!

I feel your pain! My son gave up his nap shortly after my daughter was born and I truly never felt like I could get a break. Now that my daughter will soon be three, I am just waiting for her to stop napping, too. Then I will really be in for it! Just hang in there, you will figure out how to get your time...you may just end up staying up later like me to get it! :)